product placementhttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/4926/all
enCNN Election Commentators Caught Using Microsoft Surface as iPad Standshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/cnn_election_commentators_caught_using_microsoft_surface_ipad_stands
<!--paging_filter--><p>Americans might be divided on the meaning of last night's election results, but at least the Apple faithful can unite in enjoying another botched product placement from an Apple competitor. Last month homegrown rival Microsoft <a href="http://blogs.bing.com/search/2014/10/21/bing-and-ie-team-with-cnn-for-elections-2014" target="_blank">announced</a> it would be working closely with CNN for coverage of the midterm elections, but the associated product placement fell flat last night when CNN commentators were caught using Microsoft's Surface tablets to hide their iPads.</p><p>As first noted by <a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2014/microsoft-gives-cnn-commentators-surface-tablets-election-coverage-still-use-ipad/" target="_blank">GeekWire</a>, one shot <a href="https://twitter.com/adamUCF/status/529872977115246592" target="_blank">posted on Twitter </a>by users adamUCF&nbsp;clearly shows a commentator using her promotional Surface Pro 3 to hold up her Apple tablet. (If nothing else, Microsoft has certainly made a strong case for the usefulness of the device's stand.) Still <a href="https://twitter.com/_Melbourneer_/status/529881289298415616/photo/1" target="_blank">another shot f</a>rom a&nbsp;user known as Melbourneer shows a commentator messing with his iPad mini behind the cover of an upright Surface.</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2014/11/ipadstand.jpg" width="620" height="507" /></p><p><strong>Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/adamUCF/status/529872977115246592/photo/1" target="_blank">adamUCF</a></strong></p><p>It's only the latest disappointment in a long line for the struggling tablet. The news comes only a little over a month after Microsoft had to deal with coaches and players from the NFL referring to Surface tablets as "iPad-like tools" (via <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101980344" target="_blank">CNBC</a>), and this after the Redmond giant reportedly dumped $400 million into the league to promote the devices. Back in July of last year, Microsoft was forced to write down $900 million on the device.</p><p>Samsung's probably glad for the break. Usually it's Apple's Korean rival who has to deal with such gaffes, whether it's in the form of Ellen DeGeneres <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/ellen_degeneres_used_samsung_phone_stage_oscars_iphone_backstage" target="_blank">tweeting from her iPhone backstage</a>&nbsp;at the Oscars despite making a big show of taking Samsung selfies onstage, or Adam Levine's <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/samsung_spokesman_adam_levine_caught_using_iphone" target="_blank">tweeting</a> from his iPhone not long after expressing the desire for a "ceremonial iPhone burning" at a Samsung event.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer, <a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/cnn_election_commentators_caught_using_microsoft_surface_ipad_stands#commentsNewsCNNelectiongaffeHumoriPadMicrosoftproduct placementSamsungWed, 05 Nov 2014 21:27:55 +0000Leif Johnson20893 at http://www.maclife.comSamsung Spokesman LeBron James Tweets in Frustration After His Galaxy Note Failshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/samsung_spokesman_lebron_james_tweets_frustration_after_his_galaxy_note_fails
<!--paging_filter--><p>Poor Samsung. Some of their marketing attempts backfire spectacularly, especially when they attempt to court celebrities. Not long ago we saw how Ellen DeGeneres was <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/ellen_degeneres_used_samsung_phone_stage_oscars_iphone_backstage" target="_blank">using her iPhone</a> backstage despite her highly televised Samsung selfie at the Oscars, and now we find (via <em><a href="http://9to5mac.com/2014/03/12/even-samsung-spokesman-lebron-james-has-phone-problems/" target="_blank">9to5Mac</a></em>) that LeBron James, Samsung's spokesman for its Galaxy Note line, fire off a tweet expressing his anguish that the phone erased all his data.</p><p>Naturally, the tweet disappeared, perhaps after a quickie call from Samsung itself, but not before his roughly 12 million followers on Twitter retweeted the sad news. Luckily, CNBC's <a href="https://twitter.com/EliLanger/status/443858358169108480" target="_blank">Eli Langer</a> managed to capture of screenshot of the tweet for the rest of us. "My phone just erased everything it had in it and rebooted," tweeted James. "One of the sickest feelings I've ever had in my life!!!" We understand, LeBron, we do.</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2014/03/james.jpg" width="620" height="410" /></p><p><strong>Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/EliLanger/status/443858358169108480" target="_blank">Eli Langer</a></strong></p><p>The good thing about Apple, of course, is that Cupertino company offers its own free iCloud service that backs up the phone in case of such an emergency. As <em><a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/03/12/samsung-sponsor-lebron-james-tweets-out-the-failure-of-his-note-phablet" target="_blank">AppleInsider</a> </em>notes, however, Android users must pay <a href="http://www.bestbackups.com/blog/4258/best-backup-for-samsung-galaxy-s3-and-note-2/" target="_blank">additional costs</a> to receive such services (which James can almost certainly afford), but the despair in James' tweet suggests that he'd never taken that precaution.</p><p>This could, of course, happen to anyone, particularly since there's a group of Apple users who refrain from putting anything in iCloud owing to privacy concerns. But considering the outrageous $14 billion Samsung spent on marketing last year, incidents like this don't help; no less than people like Ellen DeGeneres using their iPhones immediately after paid Samsung product placements.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer,<a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">&nbsp;Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/samsung_spokesman_lebron_james_tweets_frustration_after_his_galaxy_note_fails#commentsNewsApple vs. SamsungiCloudiOS 7iphoneproduct placementSamsungThu, 13 Mar 2014 00:41:07 +0000Leif Johnson19540 at http://www.maclife.comEllen DeGeneres Used Samsung Phone On Stage at Oscars, iPhone Backstagehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/ellen_degeneres_used_samsung_phone_stage_oscars_iphone_backstage
<!--paging_filter--><p>If you were watching the Oscars last night, you probably noticed Ellen DeGeneres using a Samsung Galaxy Note onstage. Indeed, it was kind of hard to miss. Samsung's presence was everywhere last night, whether it was in the commercials or during DeGeneres' <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/statuses/440302561044594688" target="_blank">"blurry" selfie </a>taken with Samsung's "mini tablet" smartphone. Behind the scenes, however, there was a another story. Aside from the scripted Galaxy Note event, DeGeneres was using her iPhone to send tweets all through the night.</p><p>As<em> Cult of Mac</em> <a href="http://www.cultofmac.com/268452/oscars-host-ellen-degeneres-ditched-galaxy-note-iphone-backstage/" target="_blank">notes</a>, the truth isn't hard to find. Some of DeGeneres' tweets from backstage clearly wore the<a href="https://twitter.com/sbanawan/statuses/440322583779885057" target="_blank"> "via Twitter for iPhone"</a> stamp (and it's easy to see that they came out a lot clearer than the shot she took onstage).</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2014/02/ellenoscars2014.jpg" width="620" height="344" /></p><p><strong>Source: <a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/03/03/oscars-host-ellen-degeneres-poses-for-samsung-sponsored-selfie-but-tweets-from-her-iphone" target="_blank">AppleInsider</a></strong></p><p>This is hardly the first time something like this has happened. Back in 2012, <em>AppleInsider</em> <a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/03/03/oscars-host-ellen-degeneres-poses-for-samsung-sponsored-selfie-but-tweets-from-her-iphone" target="_blank">notes</a>, former British footballer David Beckham was chosen to be Samsung's "global brand ambassador," but Beckham was seen using an iPhone 5s to snap photos as recently as the last Super Bowl.</p><p>Last April, Spanish tennis sensation David Ferrer, sponsored by Samsung, tweeted that he was "configuring S Health on my new #GalaxyS4 to help with training @SamsungMobile," but the tweet actually came from his iPhone. It even extends to the mobile carriers themselves. In October, T-Mobile CEO John Legere promoted both Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and its ill-fated Galaxy Gear with a tweet, but of course, the tweet itself came from Legere's iPhone.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer,<a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">&nbsp;Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/ellen_degeneres_used_samsung_phone_stage_oscars_iphone_backstage#commentsNewsappleGalaxy NoteHumoriphoneproduct placementSamsungTue, 04 Mar 2014 00:29:45 +0000Leif Johnson19468 at http://www.maclife.comLights, Camera, Apple: Macs, iPhones, and iPads on TVhttp://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/lights_camera_apple_macs_iphones_and_ipads_tv
<!--paging_filter--><p>Apple is notorious for its product placement. Unlike most companies, Cupertino doesn't pay for placement--it offers product instead. Sometimes it's subtle, and other times writers (who are oftentimes fans themselves) create entire episodes centered around a devotion to Apple. From vintage Apple to the iPad, here are 10 shows that feature Apple computers.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/lights_camera_apple_macs_iphones_and_ipads_tv#commentsGalleryAdvertisingGalleryproduct placementTVWed, 23 May 2012 18:00:55 +0000Ambika Subramony14126 at http://www.maclife.comBetty White Hearts the Apple iPadhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/betty_white_hearts_apple_ipad
<!--paging_filter--><p>Times are tough for Betty White. </p><p>Despite having been in &quot;the biz&quot; since 1939, she was forced into hard labor this year as a Mac Genius after losing her life savings in a fiery car crash. </p><p>Tragic.</p><p>For those of you with no understanding of deadpan humor, we'd like to take this moment to explain that Betty White's doing just dandy, and her shilling for Apple on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson makes her just that much more awesome. In what we hope was brilliant product placement on Apple's part, as opposed to the Late Late Show's writing staff being on the ball (as per usual), White and Ferguson gave us a few laughs at Cupertino's's expense. </p><p>As much as we enjoyed the segment, Mr. Ferguson has some some explaining to do! Why, for example, did your staff bother to cover up the Apple logo on the iPad when Betty White walked on stage rocking the exact same logo on her t-shirt? Also, would it have been too much to ask that you held the tablet the right way up? Hmm? Well? We'll be waiting for your response, good sir.</p><p>While White had us the moment she walked on stage, her explanation of how she came to work for Apple was what cinched it. &quot;I saw the word bar,&quot; she said. &quot;Finally, a place where they don't mind me being drunk on the job.&quot; </p><p>Betty, we couldn't love you any more if we tried. <br /></p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="380" height="329"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P9xKQm5d1uU&amp;feature=player_embedded" /><param name="width" value="380" /><param name="height" value="329" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P9xKQm5d1uU&amp;feature=player_embedded" width="380" height="329"></embed></object><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/betty_white_hearts_apple_ipad#commentsNewsancient celebritiesproduct placementiPadVideosWed, 14 Apr 2010 20:00:02 +0000Seamus Bellamy6593 at http://www.maclife.com